


Kidding Around

by keylimepie



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Brotherly Affection, M/M, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 09:57:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17979176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keylimepie/pseuds/keylimepie
Summary: Castiel and Gabriel are on a hunt together when they come across some powerful strange magic that creates a whole new set of problems. Cas has a difficult job ahead of him, and the Winchesters have to come help out as well. But will Gabriel ever be the same?





	Kidding Around

**Author's Note:**

> Ooh look, another fill for my Gabriel Bingo card!
> 
> Thanks be to waning_grace for all the help, advice, and nudging. I really needed it! *blows kisses*

Castiel knew he should have listened to his big brother. If only he’d listened to Gabriel and exercised the caution that Gabriel felt this situation warranted, maybe he’d still have a big brother to listen to. 

In his defense, it was unheard of for them to come upon a magical booby-trap that was actually capable of affecting an angel, much less a fully-powered archangel like Gabriel. Still, when Gabriel had gotten a creepy vibe as they’d pushed deeper into the old apartment building that the witches had been using as their home base, Cas should have listened. They’d already found sigils and hexes and other nasty stuff that would have hurt humans and many monsters. “I’m rather glad Sam and Dean didn’t accompany us,” Cas remarked. “You know how hard it is to keep them from charging into dangerous situations.” 

“Oh believe me, I know. I haven’t been doing this nearly as long as you have, Cassy, and I know it.” Gabriel said. “Just as well we clear these witches out ourselves.” He walked slowly down the hallway and pushed open the next apartment door. This one looked much the same as the last- inches of dust, crumbling plaster, dead rodents, a few odd pieces of furniture and boxes of clutter that the last tenants hadn’t thought worth taking with them, years ago when the building was condemned. But it felt different, very different. Gabriel felt a prickle of anxiety. “Hey Cas, let’s be careful in here, okay? This one feels… eeeush.” 

Castiel frowned. He held his blade in his hand and opened the coat closet door with the other hand. Nothing of note in there. “All the more reason to get this over with,” Cas grumbled. “I’ll go check the bedroom, you look in the kitchen.” 

“Cas, slow down,” Gabriel said urgently as Cas strode toward the bedroom door and the anxious feeling got even worse. “Dammit, kid, don’t just charge in there.” 

“I don’t feel anything; you’re being ridiculous,” Cas replied, yanking the door open. There was a popping sound and a brilliant purplish light shone out through the doorway. Gabriel panicked and shoved Castiel to the side, shielding him behind the door, and the full brunt of the light washed over him instead. 

* 

Castiel sat up. He brushed off the dust and other detritus that covered him. Why was he on the floor? Had he been knocked out? It was an odd feeling, coming back to consciousness, for a being who didn’t sleep. 

“Gabriel?” he asked tentatively. Hadn’t they been hunting witches just a moment ago? Where was Gabriel? Then he remembered the explosion of magic. “Gabriel!” Cas exclaimed anxiously. 

There was no answer, but somewhere nearby, a child was sobbing. Cas stood up and peered around the door. The bedroom that had triggered the explosion looked perfectly normal. Completely clean and empty. The only thing in the room was a little boy sitting in the middle of it crying. His knees were drawn up, arms wrapped around them, head bent low into his outstretched arms, with a halo of pale blond curls shaking with every sob. 

“Hello?” Castiel said, approaching the child. No, not a child. An angel; he could feel an almost-familiar grace brush against his. A strangely raw fledgling grace, the sort he hadn’t felt in aeons since Father had last made new ones. “Brother, have you seen another angel around here? Why are you crying?” 

The child-angel looked up. His face was streaked with tears and snot, his eyes red. He didn’t seem to have a good handle on how to manage his vessel. Perhaps he was new to Earth. Strange that a new little angel had ended up on Earth in a vessel at all. How was there even a new angel? Castiel was very confused. 

“I can’t find them!” the child wailed. “I called the others and no one’s answering me. I can’t feel them at all, and Daddy isn’t answering and I’m so scared. Who are you?” 

“I’m Castiel. Who are you?” He frowned, what angel in their right mind would have an expectation of God answering them? 

“Gabriel.” 

Castiel stared. “You can’t be.” 

“Yes I can! That’s what Daddy called me!” the boy said indignantly. He stood up, his little fists balled up, his chin jutted out. He seemed to be about seven or so, had he been a human child. Now that Cas was looking, he could clearly see the resemblance. His appearance was simply Gabriel’s vessel, minus a few decades. His grace was so volatile and new and at first it didn’t seem to be Gabriel’s at all, but now that he was looking clearly Cas could see the aspects that made Gabriel who he was. 

And he was angry. “I don’t know what a Castiel is, but I’m one of the most powerful beings in creation, so I’d watch it if I were you, Mister!” 

“Easy there, I don’t mean any offense,” Castiel said, holding his hands up. “I am well aware of the extent of your power, Gabriel. I’m an angel too. I’m your brother.” 

Gabriel scoffed. “No you’re not. I only have three brothers and I would know if you were one of them. Even Lucifer; he’s very sneaky, but I always know.” 

Castiel shook his head. “Something has happened to you. You were hit by a spell that has caused you to revert back to a much younger version of yourself. You aren’t aware of things that have passed over the last… several billion years, at least.” Cas crouched down to Gabriel’s height and met his eyes. Ahh, still those same familiar honey eyes. “Please trust me. This has happened to you because you were trying to keep me safe, and now I must keep you safe until we can fix this.” 

“Can you take me to my Father, or my brothers?” Gabriel asked. “I’m sure Daddy can fix anything.” 

“I’m afraid I can’t. He’s. Ah. Busy. They’re all busy. But please don’t worry. We’ll have some very expert help in solving this in just a short time. I’m going to call our boyf- our- my friends. There are some humans who-” 

“What’s a human?” Gabe asked. 

“They are Father’s best creation,” Cas said with a smile. “I think you’ll like them very much.” 

* 

“Cas, you can’t be serious!” Sam said into the phone. He was standing outside of a diner on a busy sidewalk. “Slow down… a purple light… yeah that sounds… but he’s actually small? Like, more than usual?” 

“What’s going on?” Dean asked. He’d been confused since Sam’s phone had rung and he’d bolted outside to finish the call. All he’d gathered was that there was something wrong with Gabriel, and no wonder Sam was worried at that. Those two had been crazy in love since the archangel had returned and started hunting with them. Truth was, the guy was growing on Dean too, in a “pain in the ass brother-in-law he wasn’t sure he’d ever wanted” kind of way, but he was worried if something was bad enough to worry Cas. Dean had quickly settled the check and hurried out to join Sam. 

“My boyfriend is seven years old!” Sam hissed, wild-eyed. A little too loudly. A middle-aged woman who’d been passing by made a loud squawk of indignance and hit Sam in the arm with her purse. 

“Sicko!” she shouted, hustling her children to the other side of the sidewalk. Sam tried to protest, to find a way to explain, but Dean just shoved him toward the car. 

“Sam? What’s going on there?” Cas said into the phone. 

“Nothing, it’s fine… can you just… keep him safe? We should be there in a few hours. No, I guess half a day. And we’ll figure something out. We will get him back, Cas.” He hung up the phone and turned to Dean, who had already started the car. 

“Cas says Gabriel got hit by a spell and was turned into a child.” 

“And how can he tell the difference?” Dean asked. 

“Shut up, this is serious! He- he doesn’t remember anything since- he thinks he’s the youngest angel and that God is still around and he’s never heard of a human,” Sam’s lip trembled. “We’ve got to get him back, Dean. Cas is beside himself.” 

Dean’s eyes softened. “Yeah, okay. We’ll fix this.” 

* 

“This! Is! So! Much! Fun!” Gabriel shrieked as he bounced up and down on the motel bed in a blur of blond hair and dinosaur pajamas - Cas had had to make an emergency shopping trip to find him clothes that didn’t fall off him as Gabriel’s regular wardrobe did, and dinosaur pajamas were the first thing he’d managed to grab. He’d also grabbed a coloring book and crayons from the selection near the register, though they had not entertained the energetic baby archangel for very long. They’d quickly been abandoned in favor of jumping on the bed. 

“Be that as it may,” Cas said. “it’s not really appropriate. Gabriel, you must stop.” 

Bounce. Bounce. “Did Daddy say I hafta stop?” Bounce. 

Castiel squinted. “Uh. No?” 

“I only listen to Daddy’s rules,” Gabriel replied, tossing a pillow into the air and kicking it on his next bounce. It crashed into the lamp on the bedside table, knocking it to the floor. 

“Oops,” Gabriel said, letting his body flop onto the bed. Castiel scowled. 

“Father isn’t here, and he isn’t going to be here, and I’m going to need you to listen to me in his stead. I am the only grown up here, and you will cooperate until we fix this situation.” Cas folded his arms across his chest. 

“Or what?” 

“Gabriel, I have had enough-” Castiel snapped, preparing to launch into a tirade. There was a knock at the door and Cas stopped short. “Just you wait,” he said menacingly, glaring at Gabriel until he turned to open the door. 

“Dean!” Cas said in relief. Dean was, in fact, standing behind Sam, who pushed past Cas into the room as fast as he could. Cas pulled Dean into his arms for a comforting hug and a tender kiss as he kicked the door shut behind him. It had been a very difficult day and the relief of Dean’s presence was immeasurable. 

“I’m here,” Dean murmured against his shoulder. “I’ve got you, sweetheart.” They kissed again, just a quick gentle kiss. 

Gabriel sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at them. “That looks gross,” he commented. “What do you want to lick his face for?” 

“I didn’t lick his face!” Cas protested. “It was simply a kiss. It’s what some adults- humans, mostly- do for affection.” 

“Looks icky,” Gabriel said with a shudder. He glanced over at the other newcomer, who had perched on the edge of the bed next to him. The guy was staring at him with watery eyes. “What’s your deal, Mister? Hey Castiel, so are these those human things you were talking about?” He poked a finger at Sam’s cheek. “They don’t look like all that much, to be honest.” 

Sam made a sad whimpering sound. “You don’t recognize me at all? It’s Sam!” 

“Nope, sorry- Sam? But Castiel says there’s lots of stuff I don’t remember. Are we friends?” 

“Um. Yes, we- you- we like each other very much. I’m a little sad that you don’t remember me, but still. I’m glad that you’re basically safe, and… Gabriel, I promise, we’ll find a way…” 

“Yikes! Castiel, this one’s leaking! Hey, hey, don’t cry, Sam. I’ll still be your friend, it’s okay.” He wiped his hand across Sam’s tear-streaked cheek and then looked at it. He quickly darted his tongue out and licked his palm, then made a face. 

“Alright, let’s figure this out,” Dean said uncomfortably. He sat down at the table and picked up a pen, twirling it in his fingers. “You searched for hex bags, I assume?” 

“There was nothing at all in that room but Gabriel. It can’t be hex bag based magic,” Cas said. 

Dean grunted. “Witches were nowhere to be found?” 

“I’d have killed them if I found them. I did rather get the impression that they may have already moved on before we got there.” 

“So they could be anywhere,” Sam said. “Dammit!” 

“Damn what?” Gabriel asked. “I know how to do that! What should I-” 

“No! No, don’t- Gabriel, do you have full use of your grace?” Sam said suddenly. 

“Duh,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Why, don’t you?” He looked Sam up and down. “Oh yeah, I can’t even see yours. Wow, you must’ve been really naughty, for Daddy to lock yours away like that!” 

“Something like that,” Sam said dismissively. “So if you have your grace, you should be able to trace the witch by the power signature of the spell.” 

“I don’t know what a witch is,” Gabriel said. “And they don’t sound very nice. I’m not sure I want to find one.” He looked frightened at the thought, and he scrambled off the bed and stood next to Castiel. 

“It’s important,” Castiel said. “If Sam is right… Gabriel, try to feel around at the edge of your grace. There should be a tendril of something extending outward, like…” he paused and then said a few words in Enochian, trying to explain the feel of the witches’ magic. 

Gabriel nodded, wide eyed. “Will you hold me while I do this? I’ll be less scared if you can hold me.” Cas squinted in confusion, but he extended his arms and lifted Gabriel up and held him. The little archangel wrapped his arms and legs around Cas like an octopus and sighed. 

“There, there,” Cas said, patting Gabriel’s back awkwardly. He looked over Gabriel’s shoulder at Sam, who was halfway out of his seat. Cas shook his head gently. He understood Sam’s concern, but it was better that he not interfere right now. 

Gabriel buried his face in Cas’s neck and snuffled. “You’re a nice brother,” he said. “I’m glad Daddy made you.” 

“I- thank you- I- you should focus now, Gabriel,” Castiel stammered. 

Gabriel scrunched his face up in concentration. A tiny bit of grace-light glowed around him, not the blinding light that would usually have the Winchesters covering their eyes, but just a trickle. Gabriel made a whimpering sound, and Cas rubbed comforting circles on his back and murmured something soft. “I found it,” Gabriel gasped at last. “Purply and dirty. I don’t like it, Castiel.” He whimpered and squeezed his brother tighter. 

“I know, Gabriel. Can you- do you think you can direct your grace well enough to smite them? Be cautious! You mustn’t hurt anything else.” 

“I ca- can’t from here. We’ve got to go there.” With that, Gabriel and Cas suddenly disappeared. 

“Son of a bitch,” Dean exclaimed, kicking the chair leg in frustration. He was worried enough about Cas, without having him suddenly out of sight again, and fighting witches with a little kid. 

“What do we do?” Sam asked. 

“We wait.” Dean spun the pencil on the tabletop. “Freaking witches.” 

They sat in silence for a long time before Sam finally spoke. “It shouldn’t take very long to smite a witch. Or witches. I mean, he’s still an archangel, even if he’s in short pants,” Sam mused. 

“Cas can handle it,” Dean said confidently as Sam paced around the room. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure Sam or himself. “Relax, Sam, he’ll be-” Dean cut off abruptly at a sudden flash of light in the middle of the room. 

They blinked a few times. Castiel was standing in the middle of the room, looking slightly mussed but not terribly so. He was still holding Gabriel exactly as he had been when they’d flown away: Gabriel’s arms tightly around his neck, legs wrapped around his waist, and one of Cas’s arms around his waist keeping him steady. Only this time, Gabriel had been restored to his usual size. His dinosaur pajamas, however, had not. They were stretched comically on Gabriel’s much larger frame. 

Sam quickly crossed the room and helped Cas pry the archangel off himself and set him on the bed. Sam knelt in front of him and held his hands. Gabriel was staring all around without really seeing anything. Sam looked at Cas questioningly. 

“He may need a moment to adjust,” Cas said. “This is all very disorienting, I’m sure.” 

“Gabe. Gabe, hey, I’m here. It’s me. It’s Sam,” he said gently. Gabriel’s eyes darted around and then landed on Sam’s face. 

“...S...Sam,” he said. “Sam, I- what the- shit, what was that? Did I-” He pulled his hands free and patted himself, pinched own his face, pulled his own hair. 

“You’re okay, you’re back to normal,” Sam said. “It was a little trippy for a while there but everything’s okay.” 

“I remember,” Gabriel said, drawing in a deep breath. Already, he seemed more himself. 

“What was that spell?” Cas asked. “Why would they try to protect their lair by turning someone into a child?” 

“Well little bro - nice to call you that again, by the way - that wasn’t exactly the intended result of the spell. Oh, kiddo. It’s a good thing it hit me and not you.” 

“Why?” Cas asked suspiciously. 

“Because if it had hit anyone but me, you would have been rewound into non-existence. Poof. Gone. Nothing I could do to fix it. It was set up to dial back so many years. They hadn’t counted on anything as old as _moi_ coming along, I guess.” 

“That’s horrible,” Sam said, looking at Cas with a sick feeling. Dean was staring at the floor, a shadowy look on his face. He swallowed thickly and stepped closer to Cas and put a hand on his shoulder. 

“Thank you, Gabriel. Thank you hardly seems adequate, but… thank you,” Castiel said, patting Dean’s hand reassuringly. 

“Anytime,” he replied, looking at Cas with a soft expression. “Thanks for taking care of me, little bro.” He then turned toward Sam and slid an arm around his waist. “Hey gorgeous, how about a li’l welcome back kiss, huh?” 

“I’m very glad to have you back, Gabe, but I’m not kissing a guy who’s wearing dinosaur pajamas.” Sam wrinkled his nose. 

Gabriel laughed and grabbed his duffel bag and retreated into the bathroom. When he came back out, he was clad in his usual jeans, boots, a soft maroon henley, and his black leather jacket. He twirled with a flourish, earning a smile from Sam. 

“Okay so, Now that that’s all over… I’ve just had one hell of a growth spurt. Why don’t we go find some food?” He put his hands on Sam’s shoulders and stretched up for a kiss. 

“Good idea, I’m starving,” Sam said, thinking of the untouched lunch he’d left behind hours ago. 

They shuffled out of the motel room and headed toward a nearby diner. “Hey Gabriel, got the urge to order off the kids menu?” Dean said, nudging him with his elbow. 

“Only if they have dinosaur nuggets. The ones made of chicken, I mean. They don’t taste as good as real dinosaur, but what can ya do.” 

Sam chuckled and laced his fingers with Gabriel’s “I am so glad to have you back.” He raised Gabriel’s hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. 

“I’m glad to be done babysitting,” Cas added. “You’re quite a spoiled brat as a child, Gabriel.” 

“Hey! I was the youngest for a long freakin’ time!” Gabriel protested. “It’s not my fault I was adorable and charming and everyone doted on me. Anyway, you’re bossy.” 

“Don’t you two start,” Dean grumbled, shoving himself between the two angels, though he leaned against Cas and hip-checked Gabriel towards Sam. Sam tactfully changed the subject, and the four strolled into the diner debating about Tarantino movies and discussing the specials board as they slid into a corner booth, a little more grateful that they were all still there, and fully themselves, as they enjoyed their typical post-hunt double date. 


End file.
